Department of Forestry

About The Department of Forestry

Faculty of Agriculture & Forestry

The Department of Forestry is committed to producing a cadre of professionals through excellence in teaching, research and service to meet changing demands in forestry and related sectors locally, regionally and internationally. The Forestry Programme are the main pathways for training technical and professional foresters for work in the forestry sector of Guyana and the wider English speaking Caribbean.

The Diploma in Forestry was first introduced in 1987 as a Unit under the Office of the Vice-Chancellor and was placed under the Faculty of Agriculture in November 1989. The B.Sc. in Forestry commenced in 1996. Subsequently, the Forestry Unit was upgraded to the Department of Forestry and the Faculty of Agriculture was renamed the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry in September, 2002. The same year the department commissioned its building.

Presently, the Faculty offers a two year Associate Degree in Forestry and a four year Bachelor of Science Degree in Forestry. The Associate Degree is a 67 credit course over 2 years and is a prerequisite for the B.Sc. Forestry which has a minimum of 62 credits in an additional 2 years. In 2017, the BSc will offer three majors- Forest Management, Timber Production and Environmental Forestry.

To qualify for admission to the Diploma Programme students must possess at least 5 CXC passes at grade 3 or above OR a Certificate/Diploma from the Guyana School of Agriculture at Credit or above. Consideration is given to mature students (26 + years) who may not meet the academic entry requirements but have recent relevant practical experience and a pass at the University of Guyana Entrance Examination. For the Degree programme students must possess the Associate Degree in Forestry or similar qualification from another recognized institution.

The Forestry Programme has close links with agencies such as the Demerara Timbers Limited (DTL), BARAMA, and the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFL), Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) Conservation International (CI), World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Iwokrama Centre for Rainforest among others.

Thus goal of the Diploma and B.Sc. Forestry is to create teaching and learning opportunities for students to gain the necessary knowledge, engage in training and develop skills to discover, generate, disseminate and apply knowledge of the highest standard, to enable them to manage and develop the forest resources of Guyana and the region. Therefore this curriculum is designed to produce graduates able to function in the forestry sector in Guyana and regionally either in government regulation or in private company exploitation roles. Students are exposed to the practice and experience of forestry.

The Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry aims at exposing students to a myriad of forestry practices in the form of field visits to various concessions, sawmills, and forest enterprises, thereby giving students the awareness of the forestry sector. During the summer vacation, there are also rewarding attachments and internships in various fields at a number of prestigious institutions of the Students’ choice.

As a graduate of the Faculty you can become a part of an elite and vibrant group of men and women whose knowledge contribute to the economic development of Guyana. You will be well grounded to fill key positions in private and public enterprises at both middle and senior management levels. You can also function at the sub-professional level in the local forestry sector.

Outstanding graduates from the Faculty have advanced to post-graduate studies in many renowned Western Universities, performing with distinction. Many of these high caliber men and women have obtained employment as lecturers at the University of Guyana and as managers and research scientists both locally and internationally.